| Founded | 1871 |
|---|---|
| Website | www.zgf.hr |
| Principal conductor | Dawid Runtz |
The Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra (Croatian: Zagrebačka filharmonija) is a Croatian orchestra based in Zagreb. The orchestra gives its concerts principally at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall and at the Croatian National Theatre, Zagreb.
History
The origins of the orchestra can be found in the opera ensemble of the Croatian National Theatre, Zagreb. In the 19th century, musical ensembles in Zagreb were mostly unorganized, until in 1870, Ivan Zajc established an ensemble for the national theatre.[1] He organised and conducted a professional concert on the 25 February 1871, in Stanković's theatre (the present-day building of the Zagreb Assembly).[2] The orchestra performed a Quodlibet, a style of composition where melodies and motifs from a range of pieces would be combined into a single performance.
A symphony concert in 1916 marked a historical performance in Zagreb's musical history. The concert of young Croatian composers (Croatian: Simfonijski koncert mladih hrvatskih skladatelja) showcased a wide range of composers from the country, including Dora Pejačević.[3] They played at the Croatian National Theatre.
After World War I, significant changes were brought to how Zagreb's musical ensembles were organised. In 1919, at the encouragement of violinist Dragutin Arany, musicians of the opera ensemble officially formed a philharmonic orchestra.[4][5] The orchestra's name was formally changed to the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra on 3 October 1920.[6]
Recent chief conductors of the orchestra have included Kazushi Ōno (1990–1996),[7] Vjekoslav Šutej (2003–2009),[8] and David Danzmayr (2016–2019). Since 2021, the orchestra's chief conductor is Dawid Runtz.
Selected discography
- Beethoven, Violin concerto in D major, conducted by Milan Horvat and Ivan Ozim
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 2, Symphony No. 5, conducted by Richard Edlinger
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 4, Symphony No. 7
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 8, conducted by Richard Edlinger and Michael Halász
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 9
- Janáček, Sinfonietta, conducted by Lovro Matačić
- Keleman, Piano concerto, with Melita Lorković on piano
- Mozart, Piano Concerto no. 27, with conductor Mladen Bašić
- Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1
- Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade, with conductor Pavle Dešpalj
- Shostakovich, Symphony No. 1, conducted by Milan Horvat
- Shostakovich, Symphony No. 9
- Smetana, My Fatherland
- Stravinsky, Petrushka
Chief conductors (partial list)
- Pavle Dešpalj (1980–1985)[9][10][11]
- Kazushi Ōno (1990–1996)
- Alexander Rahbari (1997–1999)[12]
- Vjekoslav Šutej (2003–2009)
- David Danzmayr (2016–2019)
- Dawid Runtz (2021–present)
References
- ^ Kovačević, Krešimir (1977). Muzička enciklopedija [Encyclopedia of Music] (in Croatian). Second ed. pp. 750–751.
- ^ Munjin, Bojan (21 September 2020). "Hristofor Stanković – the man who built Zagreb's first theatre". Portal of Serbs in Croatia. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
- ^ Matasović, Trpimir. "Where were you in 1916?". Zarez – Dvotjednik za kulturu i društvena zbivanja. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-24.
- ^ "Hrvatska Baština – Zagrebačka filharmonija" [Croatian Heritage – Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra] (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-24.
- ^ Alić, Marsela (2020-11-29). "Osnovana je Zagrebačka filharmonija (1919.)" [On this day, in 1919, The Zagreb Philharmonic was established] (in Croatian). Povijest. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
- ^ Haluza, Jana. "150 years of musical embrace in Zagreb" (in Croatian). www.matica.hr. Retrieved 2021-10-24.
- ^ Denis Derk (2023-02-09). "Maestro Kazushi Ono: Japan je prepun fanova velikog Lovre pl. Matačića" [Maestro Kazushi Ono: Japan is full of fans of the great Lovro pl. Matačić]. Večernji. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
- ^ "Vjekoslav Šutej: Croatian conductor". The Independent. 2009-12-07. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
- ^ "Napustio nas je maestro Pavle Dešpalj (1934–2021)" [Maestro Pavle Dešpalj (1934–2021) has left us.]. Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
- ^ "Celebrity Report". Orlando Sentinel. October 13, 1985. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
...the Zagreb Philharmonic is conducted by former Florida Symphony Orchestra director Pavle Despalj
- ^ Lebrecht, Norman (December 18, 2021). "Death of a Croatian Maestro, 87". Slippedisc. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ^ Glyn Pursglove (January 2021). "Review of Alexander Rahbari: My Mother Persia – Symphonic Poems, Volume 3 (Naxos 8.574208)". MusicWeb International. Retrieved 2024-10-18.